Saturday, April 9, 2011

Shhhhh! It's supposed to be a secret (until Monday, anyway)

A long time ago, before I found "success" (being relative that is) as a cozy mystery author, I wrote a mystery series (under the name L.L. Bartlett) about a troubled insurance investigator who got viciously mugged and became a teensy bit psychic.

(Okay, maybe not quite teensy, but the guy is in denial.)

Everything that could go wrong for the launch of that series WENT wrong.

The hardcover edition was a dismal failure and I cried buckets of tears to no avail. The book found a second life (and a nice print run) in paperback, but only to a book club audience. The second book came out and did well in hardcover, but the paperback publisher wouldn't buy it. (Can you say sink like a stone?)

My big-name publisher wouldn't pick up the series. "Niche audience. We can't make enough money." My agent advised me to self-publish the rest of the series. And so I did.

Still, my cozy audience didn't seem interested in the books. Why?

"It's paranormal!" many of them cried in fear. To them paranormal ONLY means vampires, zombies, and werewolves.

Um, Jeff Resnick doesn't suck people's blood, he isn't "undead," and he doesn't turn into a scary creature when the moon rises. Okay, he drinks a little too much, but he has a devoted brother, a cat, a girlfriend, and senses death. And he relies on his background as a crack insurance investigator to solve crimes. (You can read more about him here.)

Shhhh! It's a secret. Well, it was supposed to be . . . until Monday when the BIG reveal comes about. (But then Kindle jumped the gun.)

What's that?

Murder on the Mind will be on sale at Kindle, Nook and Smashwords* (with Coupon Code PN68D) for just 99¢ until the end of April.

If you've got an e reader, I'd appreciate you giving Jeff a chance. Hey, it's less than a buck -- not much to lose, and you might find you like my slightly psychic, crusader for good (okay, he has no cape but his heart is in the right place).

The books are not cozy mysteries. They're psychological suspense. But if you like character-driven stories (like my Booktown and Victoria Square mysteries), and you don't mind an edgier storyline, I hope you'll give Jeff a try. For e readers, it's cheaper than a cup of coffee.
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* Wait! I have a Sony E Reader/Kobo/Diesel -- I can't get the book at 99¢!!!

Sure you can--at Smashwords with the coupon code of PN68D. They offer all e formats. Just go to Smashwords, use the coupon code at check out time, select the file that can be read on your reader and the book will be yours for 99¢.